School support
section 35a SGB VIII
Child, youth and family welfare with professional expertise
Our services
Miro Sozialdienste GmbH provides individual, needs-based support for children, young people, young adults and families.
Our work is guided by the individual circumstances, resources and goals of the people we support. We work closely with youth welfare offices, schools, families and other cooperation partners.
Our services include outpatient educational support, integration assistance and other individual support services under the German Social Code VIII.
School support & integration assistance
Individual support for equal participation in school life
School support as part of integration assistance under section 35a of the German Social Code VIII is intended for children and young people with a mental disability or a risk of mental disability whose participation in society is impaired or expected to be impaired.
We support pupils individually throughout the school day and help them make the best possible use of their academic and social opportunities.
Our goals
- Safeguarding and promoting participation in everyday school life
- Supporting the development of independence and personal responsibility
- Promoting social skills
- Helping to structure the school day
- Promoting communication and social interaction
- Managing challenging situations
- Supporting emotional stability
- Promoting concentration, orientation and the ability to act
- Strengthening existing resources and abilities
- Gradually reducing support when educationally appropriate
School support is based on the individual needs of the child or young person. We do not view it as creating permanent dependence, but as goal-oriented support on the path to the greatest possible independence.
Integration assistance may be used in particular when the support available within the school is insufficient to meet the individual need and there is a corresponding impairment of participation.
How we work together
Effective school support is built on cooperation.
In compliance with data protection and educational requirements, we therefore work closely with:
- Pupils
- Parents and legal guardians
- Schools
- Teachers
- Youth welfare offices
- Therapeutic services
- Other professionals involved
Our goal is reliable support that is guided by the young person’s needs and strengthens their independence.
Service area of our school support
Miro Sozialdienste offers school support across the whole city of Leverkusen. We also support children and young people in Düsseldorf – in particular in city districts 9 and 10 – as well as in Solingen, Burscheid, Leichlingen, Wermelskirchen, Langenfeld, Hilden and Monheim am Rhein.
Within these areas there are generally no fixed exclusion areas. We review every request individually. Requests outside these areas may also be reviewed depending on distance, staffing capacity and framework conditions.
There is no blanket maximum distance for our professionals. When assigning a placement we make sure it is professionally and organisationally sensible and reliable in the long term. Already during recruitment we consider residence, mobility and distance to the potential placement.
How school support works
Responsibility depends on the child’s or young person’s place of residence. For school support under section 35a SGB VIII, guardians contact the responsible youth welfare office.
Referrals often reach us directly from the responsible youth welfare office. Parents, schools or other professionals can also contact us. Every new request is first reviewed by our management, looking at the individual need, the school, the planned hours, the required qualification and our staffing capacity.
After approval we select a suitable professional and coordinate the next steps with family, school and youth welfare office. In the first help-planning or kick-off meeting we agree the assignment, goals, individual need and cooperation. The placement then begins.
The basic procedures are comparable, but specific processes, contacts and requirements can differ between youth welfare offices. Parents can contact us at any time – we explain our options and support coordination with school and youth welfare office.
Our experience in school support
Miro Sozialdienste has been active as a child, youth and family welfare provider since 2024. Our focus is Leverkusen and the surrounding region.
Our team has practical experience supporting children and young people in the school context, in particular at primary, secondary and special needs schools. Our management and professionals bring many years of experience from child, youth and family welfare and from various educational fields.
Our staff come from fields such as social work and social pedagogy, pedagogy and educational science, and psychology. Some have experience supporting children and young people with autism spectrum conditions, ADHD, ADD and other support needs. A tailored match matters to us: for every request we review which professional and personal competences the specific need requires.
Practice examples from our work
To protect the privacy of the children and families we support, we do not publish personal case information. Typical placement situations can be described anonymously.
Primary school: A child needs reliable support in everyday school life due to additional needs. The school support helps with orientation and structuring, transitions between classroom situations, social interaction and the gradual development of independence.
Special needs school: For a child with higher support needs, individual stabilisation and support in everyday school life are the focus. The professional works on the agreed goals and regularly coordinates with the school, parents and involved services.
Secondary school: A young person needs support with structuring everyday school life, social orientation and increasingly independent handling of school demands. The aim is to strengthen existing resources and promote the greatest possible independence and participation.
Local cooperation and our approach
Cooperation with everyone involved in the support process is a core part of our work. Depending on the individual case we work in particular with youth welfare offices and responsible authorities, primary, special needs and secondary schools, school social work, counselling and specialist services, therapeutic and medical services, and other child and youth welfare providers.
We name schools, providers and other cooperation partners on our website only where consent exists or the cooperation is already publicly documented. Case-related cooperation does not automatically mean an institution may be presented as an official cooperation or reference partner.
For us, school support means more than a support person being present in class. Our aim is professionally sound, reliable support aligned with individual needs that enables participation, strengthens resources and gradually promotes independence.
Frequently asked questions
When can school support under section 35a SGB VIII be considered?
School support may be considered if a child or young person has, or is at risk of having, a mental disability and their participation is therefore impaired or such an impairment is expected. What matters is the individual support needed in everyday school life. A diagnosis alone does not establish entitlement to school support; the youth welfare office reviews the requirements.
Where do I apply for school support and what documents do I need?
For school support under section 35a SGB VIII, legal guardians contact the responsible youth welfare office. An early conversation with the school, as well as any existing specialist medical or psychotherapeutic assessments and school reports, is useful. The youth welfare office clarifies which documents are required in each case. In the case of a physical or intellectual disability, another integration assistance provider may be responsible.
Do parents have to pay for school support?
Outpatient school support under section 35a SGB VIII that has been approved by the youth welfare office is funded by the youth welfare office. No income-related parental contribution is provided for this support. The approval specifies which support is covered. Therefore, clarify the coverage of costs before formally commissioning support.
What does school support do during lessons and breaks?
It supports the child in finding their way through everyday school life, structuring routines, communicating with others and managing challenging situations. Its tasks are based on the agreed need and coordinated with the school. The aim is greater independent participation; responsibility for lessons and learning content remains with the school.
How many hours of school support will my child receive?
There is no number of hours that is the same for every child. The youth welfare office determines the scope based on individual need and reviews it over the course of the support. Whether all-day school, excursions or school trips are included must be explicitly clarified. Parents should discuss changes early with the school, provider and youth welfare office.
Will my child automatically receive school support for ADHD or autism?
No. With ADHD or autism, what matters is how the difficulties affect the child's participation and what support the school can already provide. The responsible authority assesses each case based on professional assessments and the school situation. The appropriate legal basis and responsibility are also clarified individually.
Together, we enable reliable participation in school life.
Contact us